Insulating composition.



D STATES OFFICE.

JOSEPH F. MENNINGEN, OF WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO ALLIS-GHALMEIRS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH F. Mnnnm- GEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at \V est Allis, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Insulating Compositions, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to improvements in insulating compositions or compounds and to the methods of forming the same.

The object of the invention is the provision of a compound which possesses excellent insulating properties, which is lireproof, impervious to oil or moisture of any kind, and which is extremely hard, compact and imporous.

The particular ingredients of my improved insulating cpmpound are hydraulic cement, asbestos and shellac or other equivalent substance of'a resinous nature possessing like qualities as a binder in the composition; and if desired, some coloring matter may be added. Any suitable hydraulic cement may be employed, such as Portland cement, natural cement, Puzzolan cement or hydraulic lime, but I prefer to employ Portland cement, and the asbestos may be either fibrous or in the form of a powder, depend ing upon the purpose to which the insulatin g articles are to be put, and to some extent on the particular shape of the same.

The proportions by weight of the ingre- (clients which I have found by careful ex perimcnt to produce a compound which answers all the requirements very efi'ectively, are substantially as follows: Five parts of cement, three parts of asbestos, four parts of shellac, and one-eighth part of coloring matter, it the latter is added.

In carrying out my invention, the shellac having been dissolved in a suitable amount of alcohol to give the proper working consistency (about equal parts of flake shellac and alcohol have been found satisfactory), the parts are thoroughly mixed so as to produce a mixture or composition having substantially the consistency of soft putty. This mixture is then subjected simultaneously to both heat and pressure, this being preferably accomplished by placing the mixtime in a hot mold and compressing the same in a suitable press, such as a hand ress. The, mixture is then allowed to stan the pressure of the press having been removed,

Specification of Letters Patent.

INSULATING COMPOSITION.

. Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

Application filed March 12, 1909. Serial No. 483,048.

consisting of subjecting the mixture to heat s and pressure simultaneously, accomplishes the result, through the applied pressure, of 'lorcmg the mixture to the various parts of the mold, and this is no small matter Where the molded article is provided. with small plnjeCtlOilS and sharp-angled recesses. This will be appreciated since the consistency of the mixture is only such as is produced by a limited amount of alcohol, the only thinning material employed to bring the composition to a workable consistency. The heatapplied to the mixture during this pressing is sullicicnt to bring the temperature to a point where the alcohol will be readily evaporated. and. i the article is of small mass, the alcohol may be evaporated even while the pressure is being applied. Ordinarily, however. especially with larger articles. when pressure has been applied to a sullicient degree to cause the mixture to [ill the mold, the molded mass is relieved of pressure and allowed to stand while sub jcctcd to heat alone. thus cficcting, to some extent, a baking of the article. During this period, the alcohol used in obtaining a workable mixture is evaporated. \Vhilc, with articles of small mass, the evaporation nec essary may be accomplished while pressure is being applied, nevertheless, the absence of applied pressure allows the alcohol to escape much more readily 'from the mold; and, further, the requisite evaporation cannot be accomplished with large articles, since the evaporated alcohol cannot escape readily, and may even be sutlicient tocause an explosion of the mold when pressure is applied continuously. Although 1t hasbeen subjected to heat alone for a comparatively short time, the mold is again sub ected to both heat and pressure. This heat and pres sure acts to compact the molded mass, whlch has shrunk perceptibly, due to the evaporation of alcohol, and to completely bake the grained, hard and lit is to be noted that two pressing operations are necessary in most cases, the one to properly fill the mold and to im art the desired shape to the molded artidl other to thoroughly. compact the molded article after the alcohol has been evaporated. It is desirable that the mixture be subjected to heat from the time it is ut in the mold, in. order to quickly-and e ciently rid the molded mass of alcohol and to thoroughly bake and harden the molded article.

A compound formed ofthe materials and proportions above named and in the manner above described is found to answer all the necessary requirements very eflectively and at the same time is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.v It'is particularly useful for those insulating articles which must possess considerable hardness and are exe, and the posed to rain, oil, or mo in other forms.

hydraulic cement, ash, and a binder of shellac. r

2. An insulating compound contg hydraulic cement. asbestos, a binder of shel 30 lac, and coloring matter.

3. An insulating compound containing substantially five parts of hydraulic ent, three parts of asbestos, and four parts of shellac. V

Milwaukee, Wis, March 5, 1909.

In testimony whereof llalfifix my siture, in the presence of two witnesses.

' JOSEPH F. MEQNNUIGEN.

Witnesses: i

' H. 0; Case",

Cnas. 1L. Brnon. 

